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Validation of a Building Simulation Tool Using Field Data for Three Identical Configuration Full-Serve Restaurants Using Different HVAC Systems
Abstract
A new building application for a pre-existing
HVAC software tool which calculates the benefits of
desiccant-assisted HVAC equipment versus the
performance of a standard vapor-compression system
is used to model the monitored results, see Yborra
and Spears (2000), for three full-service restaurants.
A standard vapor-compression system, an enthalpy
assisted vapor-compression system, and a desiccant-assisted
vapor-compression system are compared.
The vapor-compression portion of each system is
comprised of three rooftop units, specifications for
each may be found in Yborra and Spears, "Field-
Evaluation of Alternative HVAC Strategies to Meet
Ventilation, Comfort, and Humidity Control Criteria
at Three Full-Serve Restaurants". The software tool
uses DOE 2.1E as a calculation engine which runs in
the background. Previously, the software tool could
model two different hotel configurations, a quickserve
restaurant, a supermarket, a retail store, an ice
arena, a school, a movie theater, a nursing home and
a hospital. With the larger eating area, the full-serve
restaurant had the capacity for sensible or enthalpy
heat recovery from the exhausted air in the sit-down
area. Quick-Serve Restaurants (QSR's) were
precluded from these energy saving devices as the
exhausted air was heavily laden with grease. Still,
even with the kitchen exhausts facing away from the
rooftop unit (RTU) intakes, the enthalpy wheels
showed noticeable loading from grease.
As the field monitoring was performed near
Philadelphia, PA, National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) hour-by-hour bin TMY2
meteorological data was used for Philadelphia to
model the annual outdoor conditions experienced by
each site.
Output was provided in the form of humidity
bins, monthly energy usage and cost, as well as total annual gas and electric costs. As the fill-serve
restaurants were located on the North-Eastem region
of the United States, patron comfort was of greater
importance to management than annual energy cost
savings. Once the model results were determined to
properly reflect those of the case studies, the different
building equipment types were "moved" around the
United States by choosing different bin weather data
sets corresponding to Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, and
Houston, TX. While the default energy rates
available in the program are 4 years old, the
economic results provide a sound cost comparison.
Citation
Brillhart, P. L.; Worek, W. M. (2000). Validation of a Building Simulation Tool Using Field Data for Three Identical Configuration Full-Serve Restaurants Using Different HVAC Systems. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6813.